Lee, Choi set the pace

Sports writer for The Age

When a no-name Korean walked into the scorer's hut holding a scorecard with seven birdies and two eagles, and politely signed it in as the new course record at Victoria Golf Club, her more accomplished peers about to tee off must have been rubbing their hands with glee.

It was game on.

If Chella Choi, a 23-year-old who has never won on the LPGA Tour - and whose dad has made a vow not to give up as her caddie until she does - can slaughter a renowned course to the tune of 10-under 62, then what would the likes of world No.2 Suzann Pettersen do to it?

You could almost see the likes of Pettersen, overnight leader Caroline Hedwall, Kiwi sensation Lydia Ko and Swede powerhouse Anna Nordqvist, who had set a course record (64) the day before, putting their names into a hat and raffling out which one of them would do the most damage in a how-low-can-you-go birdie bonanza.

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The one girl you might not expect to have such a high ball in that draw was Australian amateur Minjee Lee.

Not because she can't score, but because, at 17, she does not yet possess the length her more decorated professional peers do and, on a course playing this short and with its main defence (the wind) being down, it seemed like power was king.

Yet when the announcer reads out the final pairing for Sunday's final round, it will be Lee - the girl with a spirit as free as her swing - who will be partnering Choi, the world No.28 who shocked even herself on Saturday with a career-best 62.

''That was a really good round, hey?'' Choi asked.

As it turned out, this would be a triumph of poise over power.

Start firstly with Lee. Sandwiched between some of the game's top professionals, the West Australian could have flown quietly by. Or worse, got sucked into doing what everyone else around her planned to do.

Instead, she just did what she has done all week; hit greens and make putts.

Hedwall, meanwhile, seemed tense and played like it. And it rubbed off on her playing partner, Pettersen. Further down the list, Nordqvist, was the same.

Six holes went by and still the big-bombing shootout pitting the powerhouse Norwegian (Pettersen) against her Swedish rivals had not yet eventuated.

So we waited, for it was only a matter of time before the big names shoved Choi off the top of the leader-board.

Six holes later and still nothing. In fact, Hedwall (two-over for the day) was going backwards with five bogeys in seven holes on the back nine and Nordqvist (three-over) was in free-fall, with a triple bogey.

Pettersen wasn't doing much better - not slipping behind, but by no means surging ahead. She would finish even, but still right in the frame three shots behind.

Meanwhile, Lee even threw in the high five to her caddy after the roar generated from her long birdie putt on the par 3 16th.

Back in the clubhouse, Choi was seeing but not believing.

No doubt she was running through her pre-round routine, making sure every superstitious detail will be exactly on Sunday as it was on Saturday - orange juice (not milk this time) and fruit for breakfast, and lunch at the clubhouse, not the hotel.

For her, Sunday presents the chance to accomplish the goal she has had since she and her dad moved to America when she was 16.

For Lee, history, the chance to become the first amateur ever to win the women's Australian Open, awaits.

Her mum and grandma will be watching. Just as they were on the Gold Coast last week when Lee played in the final group and came runner-up to Cheyenne Woods at the Ladies Masters.

That experience will help because it told her she can do it on the big stage. But the trick, of course, is to ignore the fact that this might be the biggest moment of her young career. ''I'm pretty cruisy on the golf course,'' she said. ''I just play. I think it kind of lightens it up a little bit because I'm smiling all the time.''